Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Los Ángeles

For one person, living is cheaper in Los Ángeles: $925 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $8,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Los Ángeles
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Los Ángeles Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Los Ángeles

🇨🇱 Chile

$925

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Los Ángeles

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medellin and in Los Ángeles actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,614 per month in Medellin vs $925 in Los Ángeles, rent included.

Medellin $1,614
Los Ángeles $925

A couple spends around $2,402 per month in Medellin vs $1,378 in Los Ángeles, rent included.

Medellin $2,402
Los Ángeles $1,378

A family of three spends $3,190 per month in Medellin vs $1,831 in Los Ángeles, rent included.

Medellin $3,190
Los Ángeles $1,831

Medellin costs about 75% more than Los Ángeles, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Los Ángeles is 32% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.93 COP 25.2K

$12.46 CLP 12.3K

-36.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.13 COP 146.7K

$25.23 CLP 24.8K

82.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.2K

$10.17 CLP 10.0K

-6.59%

Cappuccino

$3.11 COP 9,897

$2.03 CLP 1,996

53.20%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 COP 5,818

$1.50 CLP 1,474

22.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,373

$1.57 CLP 1,542

-12.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 COP 9,702

$2.47 CLP 2,437

23.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.50 COP 17.5K

$3.04 CLP 2,998

80.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 COP 4,614

$1.21 CLP 1,189

19.83%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 COP 7,519

$2.80 CLP 2,756

-15.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 COP 5,345

$2.98 CLP 2,939

-43.62%

Eggs

$2.86 COP 9,106

$4.33 CLP 4,269

-33.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.4K

$8.05 CLP 7,928

26.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 COP 30.3K

$10.69 CLP 10.5K

-10.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 COP 44.7K

$14.17 CLP 14.0K

-0.92%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 COP 12.9K

$2.63 CLP 2,587

54.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,757

$1.61 CLP 1,582

-6.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 COP 6,913

$2.71 CLP 2,673

-19.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 COP 7,333

$2.28 CLP 2,248

1.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 COP 6,132

$1.51 CLP 1,483

27.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 COP 5,212

$1.59 CLP 1,570

3.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 COP 3,582

$1.44 CLP 1,416

-21.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,966

$1.10 CLP 1,083

13.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 COP 12.7K

$5.67 CLP 5,586

-29.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.35 COP 42.5K

$4.27 CLP 4,203

212.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 COP 5,400

$0.99 CLP 978

71.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 7,548

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 COP 3,839

$0.50 CLP 488

142.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 243.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 COP 4,192

$2.06 CLP 2,032

-35.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 COP 6,795

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.47 COP 26.9K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,127

$1.26 CLP 1,245

3.17%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$28.0K COP 89.0M

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$35.4K COP 112.6M

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$172 COP 547.3K

$123 CLP 120.9K

40.25%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$13.37 COP 42.5K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.73 COP 91.4K

$20.82 CLP 20.5K

37.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.24 COP 143.9K

$80.7 CLP 79.5K

-43.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.2K

$10.27 CLP 10.1K

65.92%

Cinema Ticket

$6.28 COP 20.0K

$4.42 CLP 4,355

42.08%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$770 COP 2.4M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,011 COP 28.7M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 COP 274.8K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 COP 181.7K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 434.3K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 311.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 COP 3.4M

$274 CLP 269.6K

285.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$616 COP 2.0M

$228 CLP 224.2K

170.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,892 COP 6.0M

$442 CLP 435.3K

328.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 COP 3.3M

$337 CLP 331.6K

203.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,059 COP 12.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 COP 5.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$652 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Los Ángeles: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$616 38.2%

Los Ángeles

$228 24.6% 63% $388

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$295 18.3%

Los Ángeles

$275 * 29.7% 6.8% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$214 13.3%

Los Ángeles

$144 * 15.5% 33% $71

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$170 10.5%

Los Ángeles

- * 0% 100%

Eating Out

Medellin

$168 10.4%

Los Ángeles

$185 20% 10% $17

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.8%

Los Ángeles

$4 * 0.4% 95.7% $89

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.6%

Los Ángeles

$90 9.7% 54.9% $32

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,055 in Medellin versus $274 in Los Ángeles. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Medellin versus $25.00 in Los Ángeles. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $295 vs $275 – making Los Ángeles the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇨🇱 Los Ángeles

🕒 Local time

21:31 9:31 PM

23:31 11:31 PM

2 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

143,023

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Chilean Peso CLP $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.14 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

10,000 CLP = 10.15 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.07 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CLP, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 3,181 COP (10,000 COP = 3.14 USD). 1 EUR = 3,561 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 985 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.02 USD). 1 EUR = 1,103 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.07 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

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Medellin Los Ángeles 4,880 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Los Ángeles

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Medellin vs Los Ángeles: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin costs about 75% more than Los Ángeles, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,421 per month in Medellin and $1,387 in Los Ángeles. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Los Ángeles, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,614 in Medellin and $925 in Los Ángeles. That's a gap of about 75%.

Groceries cost about 7% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Los Ángeles, where all-in costs run around $925, than in Medellin at $1,614. In Los Ángeles it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Los Ángeles costs $925 versus $1,614 in Medellin. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Los Ángeles. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.